MUSKEGON COUNTY — A two-day advanced driving class planned for Sept. 27-28 will be a "behind-the-wheel" experience for young drivers.

Teen driving class

What: Muskegon County Sheriff's Office Advanced Teen Driving Class.

When: Sept. 27-28.

Where: Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park, 4750 Whitehall.

Who's eligible: Any driver age 16 or 17 who has had his or her license for at least a year. If the class fills, interested teens will be placed on a waiting list for another class in the spring.

Cost: Free.

To register: Contact Deputy John Yax, 724-7136, or the command desk, 724-6259. Class size is limited to 18 students.

The Muskegon County Sheriff's Department is providing the free class for teen drivers to give them the skills needed to reduce the risk of an accident.

The Advanced Teen Driving Class is designed for drivers 16-17 who have had their driver's licenses for at least one year. It will be the first of its kind in the area.

Students will learn how to react mentally and physically to different driving situations. "It's a lot about thinking ahead, thinking about what to do if something happens," said Muskegon County Sheriff Dean Roesler.

A portion of the class will involve driving exercises on a course in the parking lot of Michigan's Adventure Amusement Park, 4750 Whitehall.

Hours for the weekend class are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 27 and 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 28.

Class size is limited to 18 students and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with parental consent.

Instructors for the class will be deputies John Yax and Kendall Jeppesen from the sheriff's department; Sgt. Michael Tripp from the Muskegon Police Department; and Deputy Jeremy King from the Mason County Sheriff's Department.

Exercises will focus on defensive driving and accident avoidance.

Yax cautions that none of the exercises will involve speed. And while instructors want the teens to have fun, "we want them to get the repetitions done until they can get it right," he said.

The exercises include controlled braking, different types of maneuvering and driving through a serpentine course.

Vehicle maintenance also will be taught. The sheriff's department did an online survey that netted 100 responses, and more than half of those responding wanted a lesson in changing a tire and how to check fluid levels. They also wanted to know what to do if they're in an accident.

Roesler said the class is being offered free because of the number of sponsors that were found to donate time, services and equipment.

Rypma Chevrolet of Whitehall is providing vehicles and also will do an air-bag deployment demonstration. United Parcel Service will be participating in another exercise. The amusement park is allowing its facilities to be used for free.

Food and drink will be provided by Mill Iron Quiznos Subs and Jet Fuel. Trophy House/Jones Sports will give students event T-shirts and Graphiti Wraps will do the graphics work on the vehicles used.